The City of Orange Historic Preservation Commission must approve the demolition of any building within the designated Old Orange Historic District. On Tuesday, the commission had no problem allowing lots of two houses to be cleared. The vacant houses had been destroyed by arsonists on the Fourth of July weekend. The house at 602 W. Cypress Avenue was built in 1902 and the house at 1207 W. Park Avenue was built in 1925. A charred piece of a two-story wall remained at the Cypress Avenue house and only the two-story fireplace was left at the Park Avenue house. Fire Chief David Frenzel told KOGT the fire department took down the wall and fireplace because of the danger of them falling. Three girls, ages 12, 13 and 14 are now in the juvenile correction system in connection with arson at the houses.
The Historic Preservation Commission also approved a plan from the First Presbyterian Church to add a facade to a small boiler room added last year to the back of the Lutcher Memorial Church, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The church is to add stucco to the outside of the room. The stucco will blend with the other buildings on the church campus. The smoke stack will be painted black.
The commission also set guidelines for City Planning Director Kelvin Knauf to give administrative approval to outside changes of buildings in the historic district. If a building is getting a new coat of paint or roof, the planning director will be able to approve the paint and roof if they are the same as before. The commission also has a collection of approved paint colors that also may be approved through the administration. Major exterior changes in a building in the historic district need to go before the commission for approval.
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